Morning journal and courier., 1887-04-16
LUCKY QUARTER.

A MflIiOnaire's Twenty-Five Cent
 Piece in a One Thousand Dollar
 Case.
 LFrom the New York Mail and Express.l
 In that part of Fifth avenue where all the houses are palaces there is one owned by a millionaire from the Pacific slope, who after amassing fortune came to this city to enjoy the luxury which great wealth put at his dis posal. Beyond the parlors, which are filled with rare objects of art from all over the world, the rich man has his study. The most noticeable thing in the room is small table which stands next to a big rosewood desk. There is nothing on the table save an exquisitely carved gold case with glass lid. Inside the case, resting on the soft velvet, lies common everyday quarter of dollar. A few days ago, while reporter was inter viewing the California millionaire on a ques- tion of western politics, he found it impossi- ble to keep his eyes from wandering to the one thousand dollar case and it's twenty five cent piece. The millionaire, seeing the re- porters evident curiosity, took the piece of money from its satin lined resting place, and handing it to the reporter said:
 HYou see that this coin is marked in such a way that there is no mistaking it. (The letters G. w., with star before and after them, were deeply engraved in the first given me in San Francisco in a sa- loon. 1 gave the barkeeper a five dollar gold piece, and among the change I mo- ticed this marked coin. I picked it out and putting it in another pocket, remarked to my friends that I would keep it as a pocket piece. I was poor as poverty in those days, but like everyone else, I played faro every time I had money enough to buy stack of chips That night I got round to Jim Moons game, and as usual, before I quit I was cleaned out and had not dollar left in the world. The next morning when l went to work I was told that the man who employed me had deci- ded to move to Sacramento, and my valu- able services were no longer needed. had had no breakfast and began feeling in my empty pockets for some stray coin to get a cup of coffee. To my intense surprise l found that quarter. I then sat down and argued with myself whether I should spend my last cent to get something to eat, or if l should go back to the faro bank, where I had lost my money the night before, and make final effort to pull out square.
 FORTUNE FOR TWENTY FIVE CENTS.
 1.-The gambling passion was strong in me forty years ago, and I decided to take the chances and bet my last quarter. Back to the gambling hell I hurried. The game had just opened and the first turn of the cards was just being made. Dollar chips were the smallest ones in use then. So I threw down my quarter between the six, seven and eight, and then went over to the sideboard and poured myself out 8 glass of whiskey, determined to have a drink for my money anyway. When went back to the table I found two chips in the place of my twenty-five cents. I reached over to pick them up, but before I could do so the dealer turned the cards and again I won. played without thought of my empty stomach for three hours and quit with four hundred dollars. Before leaving paid the dealer one dollar for my marked